Beyonce’s voice heard for first time as Nala in new Lion King teaser

Beyonce’s voice over work for the upcoming Lion King film has been heard for the first time.

The singer is lending her voice to the character of Nala, who begins the movie as a childhood friend of Simba, voiced by Donald Glover.

A new trailer arrived on Monday and featured Beyonce’s voice for the first time.

In the clip, she says: “Simba, you have to take your place as king. We need you. Come home.”

The Lion King is a remake of the 1994 Disney classic and this time around features photo-realistic computer animation.

Other stars in the film include Chiwetel Ejiofor as the scheming uncle Scar, Billy Eichner as the meerkat Timon and Seth Rogen as the warthog Pumbaa.

The Lion King tells the story of Simba, who will one day take over as king from his father Mufasa. However, his path to the throne is blocked when tragedy strikes.

The original film was a box office smash, with an initial worldwide gross of 766 million dollars.

The Lion King will be released in UK cinemas on July 19.